


First Date

by justmattycakes



Series: Satisfaction Brought The Cat Back [2]
Category: Spider-Man (Video Game 2018), Spider-Man - All Media Types
Genre: Branzino, Canon Compliant, Cat's got the claws, F/M, Felicia gets her way, First Dates, Heart-to-Heart, Peter Parker is a Mess, PeterFeliciaWeek, Post-Canon, Spiderkitten truther
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-05
Updated: 2020-08-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 19:35:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,252
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25720666
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/justmattycakes/pseuds/justmattycakes
Summary: Felicia is back in town and Peter wants to make a good impression, but his Parker luck is sure to strike again. Can he keep it together for a whole date, or will misfortune have its way with poor Spidey?Peter/Felicia Week Day 2: ProtectiveCompliant with the events of the Spider-Man PS4 game and the companion comic, Black Cat Strikes. Check out Part 1 if you missed it!
Relationships: Felicia Hardy/Peter Parker
Series: Satisfaction Brought The Cat Back [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1862881
Comments: 10
Kudos: 53
Collections: PeterFelicia Week 2020





	First Date

Peter

Peter picked up his phone again and navigated to the recent calls list, redialing the restaurant. Everything had to be perfect for tonight, and he couldn’t leave anything to chance.

The maitre d' answered after the second ring and greeted Peter jovially.

"Hi, it's Peter Parker, just confirming my reservation for tonight, it's for two at…"

_"At 7:30. Yes, Mr. Parker, we have your reservation marked as confirmed, the same as when you called last night and two hours ago."_

"Sorry, I'm just a little nervous. I'm taking someone on a first date — well, we've dated in the past, so technically…"

_"I'm sorry, Mr. Parker, but I've got a caller on the other line. Is there anything else I can help you with?"_

"No, I think I should be…"

_"We'll see you at 7:30, then."_

The dial tone sounded, and Peter stared at his phone for a few moments before hanging up. Why was he so nervous? It was just dinner with Felicia. Dinner at a fancy, expensive restaurant with the mother of his child — a child he didn't know existed until a few days ago.

_No pressure, Parker._

Peter sighed, looking through his closet again. He only had one suit; it was nice enough, though the jacket was a little tight in the…

_Shit!_

He pulled the jacket off the hanger and turned it around. Sure enough, there was a long tear down the back from when he'd chased those bank robbers after his interview at the engineering lab. He got the job and caught the crooks, telling himself he'd buy a new suit after his first paycheck.

But that went to his rent, which was late, and the next one to Spider-Man gear. After that he needed groceries and to refill his monthly MetroCard, then it was time for rent again, and eventually he forgot all about the jacket.

Two minutes later, Peter was panting as he knocked on the window of the dry-cleaners, hoping for a miracle.

"It's an emergency," he explained, holding the jacket up as the woman inside pointed to the 'closed' sign. "I've got a date in an hour and a half!"

"Better buy a new one," she laughed, locking up the store. "A tear like this? Three, maybe four days. Minimum."

"What am I going to do?" Peter groaned, running his hand through his hair.

"Not my problem," said the woman, waving goodbye. "Just wear a tie or something."

However, when Felicia stepped out of the elevator in her hotel lobby, Peter forgot all his worries, feeling his pulse quicken as she fixed him with a knowing smile.

They spoke of little things in the quiet of the car, and Felicia wove her fingers through his, sending a tingle down his spine. For once, everything felt just right.

But the moment was short lived, and the ol' Parker luck struck again when they arrived at the restaurant.

“Did the gentleman leave his jacket in the car?” asked the host, not bothering to hide his smugness.

“No, I…”

“A jacket is required for the dining room," the host said gravely, "perhaps a loaner is in order? Just a moment, sir.”

A minute later, the host returned with a hideous tan suit jacket, and Peter stared at it in resignation before slipping his arms into the sleeves. It was easily two sizes too big. Peter looked down at himself, disgusted.

Felicia, however, seemed to enjoy it.

“Perfect,” she laughed, grabbing his lapels and adjusting them slightly, “Now I don’t have to imagine what you looked like in high school. Giant jacket with a boxy fit — it’s almost like prom night. Did you bring me a corsage?”

“Very funny,” Peter answered, but seeing her smile was worth it.

The host seated them beside a table of rowdy investment bankers who appeared to be out celebrating. With his enhanced senses, Peter could easily hear most of the conversations in the restaurant, including the bankers comparing their lurid sexual exploits. He doubted most of it was true, but he vastly preferred that to the whispered comments they began to make about Felicia once she'd caught their attention.

Peter wanted to ignore them but when he couldn't, he nearly snapped the fork in his hand before the server returned with their wine and the list of specials.

"And for this evening, we have branzino with lemon, honey, and capers, over a bed of…"

"What's branzino?" Peter asked, absentmindedly thumbing through the menu.

"Ah... branzino is a mild white fish, quite popular in Mediterranean cuisines…"

"Bro, this dude doesn't know what branzino is," laughed one of the bankers, not bothering to keep his voice down.

Another turned and looked at Peter, pointing with his beer. "Sorry, Men's Warehouse, but you missed Restaurant Week! I heard they had a great discount menu, though."

The entire table laughed, and Peter's blood pulsed in his ears. They were drunk, and he knew he could easily kick the shit out of all of them at once, but he was pretty sure that getting thrown out of the restaurant — and most likely arrested — would ruin his date with Felicia.

Felicia leaned toward the server, "Can you give us a few minutes? I'm still deciding."

The server looked between Peter and Felicia for a moment, then shrugged and stepped away.

"Baby, why don't you ditch this loser and party with us?" asked the first asshole. "Why are you even with this guy?"

Peter could feel the heat rising in his face, and he was about to stand up when Felicia set her hand on his and winked.

"Why don't you stop by the men's room to freshen up before dinner, babe?"

 _Babe?_ Peter wondered, but followed her suggestion. He needed a moment alone to cool down anyway.

In the bathroom, Peter ran his hands under the tap, the water cold on his fingers as he clenched his hands into fists. He was angry at those jerks, but he was also angry with himself. He'd already screwed up most of tonight, and they hadn't even ordered their meals yet.

And tonight was supposed to be about showing Felicia that Peter Parker could be fun and exciting too, not just Spider-Man. What a disaster.

When Peter returned from the restroom, Felicia had scooted her chair among the bankers and was flirting loudly, her laughter carrying to his ears and putting his senses on edge. What was she doing — was Felicia already bored of him?

She looked up and fixed Peter with a smile, bright and feral, and continued to tap away at a phone. He'd seen that look before, usually as the Black Cat, and usually when she was in the middle of looting a safe or trying on priceless jewelry she'd just stolen.

Peter sat down, and she handed the phone back to the ringleader of the banker table, whispering something that made him laugh as she ghosted her fingers across his forearm.

"Sorry to cut a good time short, but we've actually got to go," said Felicia, standing up," but do keep the party going for me, won't you, boys? We'll send you a bottle on the way out."

A chorus of protests and boos sounded from the table, and a few dirty looks were thrown Peter's way.

Bending down to retrieve her purse, Felicia turned to look back at them over her shoulder and added with a wink, "But don't forget to text me, like you promised!"

The group of men laughed knowingly and clinked their glasses, telling her to come find them when she wants to have a good time, and a few other things Peter wished he hadn't heard. Felicia grabbed the bottle of wine and took Peter's hand, pulling him toward the front of the restaurant.

She approached their server and pointed to the table of bankers. "We've got to run, but those gentlemen want to send a bottle of your finest champagne to every table in the restaurant."

The server looked at Felicia, confused, and then at the table of drunken bankers, who waved back and lifted their glasses, cheering loudly. "Oh… alright."

Felicia slipped the server a hundred dollar bill and a sleek-looking black credit card. Peter caught part of the name on the card, 'Chad R-', but the rest was concealed by her thumb.

Turning on her heel, Felicia smiled and walked out the door. Peter followed in her wake, tossing the borrowed jacket back to the host as they left.

"What just happened?" he asked, taking the bottle of wine that Felicia handed him, and staring at it. Were they even allowed to walk out with the bottle? And whose credit card had she just handed over?

Felicia shrugged cryptically at Peter. When they passed by a homeless man huddled in a defunct payphone booth, asleep, she dropped a few bills into the coffee cup that was set out beside him. The change at the bottom clinked loudly when she dropped something heavier in next.

The man stirred and looked in the cup, then peered at Felicia. "Did you give me a watch?"

"It's a Rolex," she explained, "don't take less than five grand when you pawn it."

"Shit... are you serious?" laughed the man, digging through the cup to grab the bills and the watch. "Thanks lady!"

"Did you steal that from the jerk at the restaurant?" Peter asked, following Felicia's lead as they headed for the end of the block.

"Yeah, and the cash and his black AmEx. I also changed his mom's contact name in his phone and said he could text me dick pics."

"Wow," Peter laughed, scratching at the back of his neck. "You're incredible, did you know that? Diabolical, but incredible."

"I do, but I still like to hear it," she preened.

"You didn't give that asshole your real name, did you?"

"Nope. I gave them a fake — Mary Jane."

"Felicia…" Peter warned, but she just cackled and entwined her hand in his.

"My favorite Cantonese spot is just two blocks up," she said, swinging their arms between them, "and their roasted pork buns are crazy good. Want to grab some takeout and finish this bottle of wine somewhere private?"

* * *

Felicia

“So, that didn’t exactly go as planned,” Peter said, meeting her eye with a sidelong glance. “Thanks for the save. You’re like a modern day Robin Hood.”

“Never stole from someone who couldn’t afford it,” Felicia answered, though she expected she probably kept a much bigger cut than the famed outlaw.

At the restaurant, Felicia rattled off her usual order in Cantonese, doubling every portion and making sure Peter's wasn't too spicy. He paid at the register and took the receipt, sitting on the bench beside Felicia to wait for their order.

Peter stared absentmindedly at the ground, slowly folding the paper receipt smaller and smaller until only their order number was showing. He tended to worry if not properly distracted. Felicia leaned over and kissed his cheek, and he stilled, his eyes focusing on hers.

“Sorry about dinner, that was a disaster. I almost picked a fight with that whole table. They were such assholes.”

“Well, _I_ had fun,” Felicia assured him, scooting closer. “And we got a bottle of wine out of it. Besides, as much as I would have loved to watch you single-handedly throw them around, I'm a mature woman now. I can find pleasure in delayed gratification.”

For Felicia, it mattered far more that Peter had trusted her to handle the situation. There were very few people that she trusted, and probably fewer that would say they trusted her.

As the Black Cat, she worked alone most of the time. It was easier that way, and she could avoid disappointment.

But that month when she partnered up with Spider had shown her that there was another way to be. Sure, she was swinging around New York as a do-gooder, but having a partner like Peter had made it all worth it, at least for a while.

But things had changed in the years between, she'd changed. Now that she was back in New York and had Wally, maybe she was ready to be partners again.

Her mom had been alone for most of Felicia's childhood, and she knew she could do the same, but maybe she didn't have to. And if having his dad around could make Wally happy, she owed it to him to take the chance.

Peter was staring quietly at the ground, and Felicia nudged his side, "Cheer up, lover. I'm having a good time."

Peter had put in the effort to do something out of his comfort zone for her, but he didn't have to woo her. The more time she spent with Peter, the more she remembered what she loved about him, and she could feel her heart easing into the old patterns and falling fast.

“Felicia?” Peter asked after a few minutes, his insecurities sketched across his face. “Why didn't you tell me about Walter earlier? I'm sorry, I just, I need to know. Was it something I did?"

“I call him Wally,” Felicia offered, a smile coming to her lips as she thought of her _perfect little man_. “When I found out I was pregnant, we had just broken up and I was still pissed at you, didn't want you to be in any part of my life.”

She reached down and took his hand, slipping her hand in his. "Once I cooled off, I thought about telling you, but I couldn't do it. You're so noble, you'd have 'done the right thing' and wanted to drop everything for me and the kid."

"Would that have been so bad?" Peter asked, something fragile in his eyes.

"It wasn't the right time, and I didn't want you to do it because you felt obligated to." She touched her fingertips to his lips. "I didn't want you to end up resenting me."

What she didn't say was that she had been selfish. She'd wanted Wally all to herself, and she knew she could do it alone, so she made excuses for herself: it was too dangerous, or Peter wouldn't want to know, or Wally would love him more than he loved her... Little lies and fears that she saw for what they were but chose to believe anyway. For a time.

Peter looked like he wanted to argue, but the woman at the counter called their order number, and he stood to collect their food.

Felicia walked beside him, ghosting her fingers along his lower back, and Peter slowly relaxed.

"Hey," she assured him, "it's the right time now."

Peter met her eyes and a smile stole onto his face, then he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "And the right person."

* * *

Peter

Peter stared into the city from their chosen rooftop, glad he'd brought his web-shooters after all. The lights seemed brighter than usual, as if he'd been watching them through a fog all this time.

He breathed deeply, feeling content to simply be there, talking with Felicia. He'd missed sharing this with someone.

"Someone looks happy, I told you their roasted pork buns are great," Felicia said, deftly popping the last of hers into her mouth with a pair of chopsticks.

"I think the honey walnut shrimp is better."

"It's _okay_ , but it's nothing compared to my mom's." Felicia dangled her legs over the side of the building, kicking them idly. "I'll get her to make it for you some time."

"If it's better than this, I might have to move in with her."

Felicia laughed and took a swig from their wine bottle, handing it to Peter, "She'd never stop feeding you. Your spandex would be too tight after a week."

"Your mom is still in Flushing, right? Are you guys close?"

“Yeah, but I was always daddy’s girl. He was the one who told me I could do whatever I wanted, while mom was the one that demanded I be the best at it.”

"Is that why you came back to the city? To be closer to her?"

"That's part of it," Felicia said, quiet for a moment.

Peter took a swig from the wine bottle and set it down, feeling far more at ease on this rooftop than inside that stuffy upscale restaurant.

“What was the other part?” he asked, leaning to the side and resting his head on her shoulder.

She turned and kissed his forehead, setting her empty takeout container on the roof beside her.

“Something happened while I was abroad. A Maggia spy or assassin, I don’t know, but I’d been a little careless when I went to see my dad.”

“What happened?”

“He saw Wally, tried to get a picture of him, almost tried to take him,” Felicia answered, staring at her fingers as she flexed them. “But I took care of it. I’d do anything to protect Wally.”

Peter nodded. There was a part of him that wanted to know the details, but another part whispered that Wally was his son, too. Would it matter what she'd done to keep him safe?

“After that, I realized that I might not always be there for him,” Felicia admitted. “What if they had gotten to me? My dad couldn’t raise Wally, he hardly raised me. I needed my son to have people that could take care of him if something happened to me.”

"People, meaning more than just your mom?" Peter hoped that he was included in that list, and he was ready to do whatever it took to prove that he deserved to be.

Felicia met his eyes. "I hope so."

“Can I… can I meet him soon?”

Felicia took Peter’s hand in hers and kissed his knuckles, “I want that, too. But I also want to take it slow and do it right. I don’t want to lie to him about who you are, you understand? I want him to have his dad, but only if his dad will be here.”

“I’m here,” Peter assured her, squeezing her hand back. “And I’ll be here. I want what’s best for him. Whenever you’re ready, alright?”

Felicia smiled, looking relieved, and Peter swore he could see straight through the mask of calm she always wore, even if just for a moment.

“Here,” she offered, pulling out her phone. “I want to show you something.”

Peter watched as she flipped through photos and videos, delighting in seeing little Wally — _his son_ — through birthdays and holidays, holding up drawings and telling a story of some animal that he'd seen at a zoo. Felicia’s voice was present throughout, talking to Wally as she filmed him. Encouraging him, congratulating him, laughing and playing with him.

Peter wished he’d been there for those moments. Right now, he would trade anything to have them for himself, but he knew that wasn’t how things worked. There was only what happened now, from here on out, and he promised he wouldn’t miss anything else.

“You’re a great mom,” Peter said, surprised to find his voice wavering as he spoke.

“You think so?” Felicia asked, sounding vulnerable. “I never thought of myself as a mother, there was so much I had to figure out for myself along the way. I’d do anything for him.”

“He’s perfect.”

“Yeah,” Felicia said, pulled up a picture of him as a baby, held securely in her arms as she recovered in a hospital bed, more radiant than ever she held their son. “He really is.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you enjoyed part 2 of my Peter/Felicia Week series! There is plenty more to come, so subscribe to the series for more smut, feelz, and SpiderCat goodness!
> 
> Come yell at me over on [ The Tumblr Hellscape ](https://justmattycakes.tumblr.com/)


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